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There has been some debate and consideration in recent years about when the Linux gaming platform will officially gain ground? Critics and market skeptics have wondered when it will really take off and it will be Linux’s turn to procure large portions of the market share. New games and gaming consoles geared toward this system have left many asserting that 2013 will finally be the “year of Linux.” But why?

Controversy

In the past, it seemed that those who were promoting and predicting the role of Linux were not aware of what problems it had. Disasters such as losing iD Software faltering in its support of the company and Epic Games infighting made the path to success difficult. The question of where the Linux desktop platform and software would fit in has also been called into question in the past. Yet, these controversies have seemed to subside and the key to Linux success is being predicted not on the desktop per se but in the gaming world. It is in the games that Linux is ready to make its mark in the coming year.

Linux and Valve

One of the greatest reasons why this is to be Linux’s year is because of the growing support from Valve who runs Steam. Now, anyone who has a Linux Steam Account can open the portal to many games. The Steam Linux Account is a connection that fosters game play and has allowed for publishers to take notice. New games are being produced for Linux runs and that means increased revenue and notoriety. Valve has even taken their faith in Linux a bit further, creating a game console based on Linux. The result has been Valve’s increased interest in promoting games and titles that will catch users’ attention and keep them playing on the system more and more. More game titles for Linux and a new Valve game console means more opportunities for Linux to take advantage and grow.

Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition is a game that should be ported on Linux and that may be among the most popular of the names behind Linux’s move to the potential forefront of gaming. In this game, the dungeons and dragons loving players will be entered into world of mythical and mysterious creatures. New characters are available in this expanded edition with its enhanced gameplay that offers individuals the chance to be more human or more mutant in their looks. Each chapter that opens in this multi-chapter game that takes time and patience, as well as skill, to navigate through. The enhanced play that is included when this game is purchased coupled with an already strong fan base, make this a potential turner of tides for the Linux ports and gaming systems. Time will only tell but the anticipation and the publicity behind this game are already creating more interest in Linux than was seen in past years and highlights games impacts on the future of Linux.

Wasteland 2 is a game that profits from the love of individuals of the role-playing games (RPG) genre. In this graphically stunning Linux-port equipped edition, the game players enter into a post-apocolyptic game scenario. They are in charge of their character and must navigate through the world that has been turned into a wasteland of disease and depravity after disasters destroy the majority of the human and living populations. Hours of fun can be had on this visually impressive game and the depth of play with all of its involvement and needed gameplay are sure to have Linux users impressed. This could be another great title that could help Linux growing in the coming year.

Author Bio: Jason Phillips has contributed this article. He has proven his writing skills with contributing number of quality posts to various sites. He has also joined the site www.tomandjerrygames.co as a sub editor.

5 Responses to “Will 2013 finally be the Year of Linux ?”

No! Don’t you ask that question! Not in 2013, not in 2014. The year of LInux is was already 2012 (if you count “Android” as “Linux”). If you mean Desktop-PC Linux, then still: No!
Reason? Too many people with too less problems running other OSes. Too many Distro-choices. Too many DE-choices. People like choice only to a certain extent. People are resistant to change. Even if W8 forces down something completely different down most people’s throats, it’s still “Wondows”, so they will curse and use that one (and their whatever programs).

So, please don’t ask the year of the Linux Desktop question any more. I thought Vista was the chance. Now W8 may be achance, in the end, it’s not how good or bad the competitors are, it suffices that they are just good enough not to completely f+++ +p.

Why does somebody ask this asinine question every year? The answer is always: “NO.” Vista drove people away from Windows and got them to adopt Linux, that’s what got me. Was it enough to make a difference? Not really. Sure, desktop Linux use has gone from around 1% to 5% in about 6 years, but it’s still not that huge a gain. Don’t think that Windows 8 and a few games coming to Linux are going to make that big a difference. Windows 7 is only a little over 3 years old and is likely going to be the biggest competition for Windows 8, much like XP was the biggest competition for Vista. Plus, with Microshaft going all Apple on us and locking out other operating systems, there’s not much of a chance of people buying Windows 8 PCs and then switching to Linux. (Yes, you can disable Secure boot, but most people don’t know how to do it)

As for the market share question: Linux-based Android phones account for roughly 75% of smartphone sales, Linux-based Android tablets account for roughly 50% of tablet sales. I’d say that’s a pretty good market share. The moral of the story: to get people to adopt Linux, you simply have to sell them a device that a can rival any Apple crap with a Linux-based OS on it and don’t tell them it’s Linux. Will this happen with PC manufacturers, will they start selling PCs with Linux-based operating systems and not tell people it’s Linux? Probably not. Why? Because of Bill Gates’ savvy business sense. He did too good a job of selling Windows to the computer makers and PC buying public in the 1990s. He simultaneously spread a bunch of anti-Linux FUD that turned people away from Linux-based systems.

So, please stop asking, “Will this be the year of Linux?” Because it won’t. When speaking of Linux in a traditional sense, it’s never going to happen. Just celebrate what Google has managed to accomplish with Android and move on.

“The Year Of Linux”? There’s no need for there to BE a “Year of Linux”, it has been and always WILL be the “alternative” to Windows…and it doesn’t matter how pretty Microsoft makes their OS, because of their “refusal” to play nice with others….there will ALWAYS be a demand for Linux! It’s not a fad…..this isn’t some kind of underground cult…..Linux is HERE TO STAY! It may not happen on the desktop environment (at least in the corporate world!) But there’s a demand…there has always BEEN a demand for an alternative to Windows…..one that didn’t require you to cash in some Social Security checks in order to buy one….(have you SEEN the prices for an Apple computer?…not their tablets or their iPhones…but an ACTUAL APPLE PC?….RIDICULOUS!) for the amount of money some companies charge you for their products you could BUILD your OWN machine! (And some people still do this…just go to sites like “NewEgg”…or “TigerDirect” and you can see the available mobo’s hd’s and just about every other component that you would need to build your own PC. The reason why Linux will never take a stronghold in MOST of corporate America, is becuse most of corporate America has been hoodwinked into believing that if Company ABC is using that product and they’re profitable…and then they look at Company XYZ and see that they’re using something else and are not as profitable, they tend to go with Company ABC. But what some folks don’t realize is that as “convenient” as Company ABC’s software is they’re only seeing one side, they don’t see the many late nights of some sys admins who have to “clean” the network, because of the bugs, trojans, viruses, malware, spyware, and hacker attempts made on a DAILY basis. There ARE companies out there who use Linux in both the desktop AND server configurations. It wasn’t a choice about which was better…it wasn’t about which one looked nicer…or was more convenient. I boiled down to just TWO choices 1. How Much will it cost? and 2. Is it secure? Based off of those two questons alone some companies make the switch to Linux, once they “standardized” their environment they had very few network issues from INSIDE the company….(if their ISP provider dropped the connection that was beyond the company’s control!) the users both those who liked the idea of a switch…and those who complained about it…had no chioce but to learn the new system, and after the training, most users would say they’re able to do their work more efficiently with less problems, from printing, to document management, to just daily operations, some companies actually see not only an increase in productivity ,but in profit margins as well. The reason why Microsoft and Apple are so prevalent in corporate America and most homes is because of 2 things: the first – they have the “advertising budget” of a small COUNTRY!…they buy and pay for ads online….in magazines….on TV….on the radio….on the side of cereal boxes…LoL! and there is NO WAY a community like Linux could compete in that regard. Most people who use Linux find out about Linux because of natural curiosity, and when their curiosity finally prods them to act, they fumble about for a while until they figure out what it is they’re trying to do. The other reason Microsoft and Apple are everywhere is simply because they’ve “dumbed down” the whole usage of a computer. Imagine someone hands you a small, compact, device that can obliterate whole galaxies…but only shows you how it can also be a wireless hotspot device……you’d be WASTING the potential of the device, but you wouldn’t care because…well hey…you’ve gotten a cute little wi-fi! The same priciple applies…..people are running out there buying PC’s and laptops with QUAD-core technology…that means these machines can think faster than you can BLINK…and what are they buying them for?…..scientific calculations?….chemical / biological research? nope…..they buy them so that they can watch their online Netflix movies in HD format….or to be able to download songs and movies “faster”…this is why most people won’t ever leave the MS / Apple camps (prisons?) they’ve gotten into….it’s just so “easy” for them to do what they want. (Not realizing they’re “trapped” and can only do what the OWNERS…SAY they can do! try changing the size of the window borders in Windows….ro try changing the icons in Apple….CAN’T!!….LoL!) But that’s what makes this country great….you are free to choose whatever OS you want….with no penalties….(or maybe there ARE you just don’t KNOW about them yet?…LoL!) ok…I’m done!